Liquid discharge device
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHikaru Kaga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid discharge device is provided with a discharge head, a sub tank, and a liquid replenishment device comprising a space for housing a main tank and a joint member to be connected to the main tank. The joint member is capable of being connected to and disconnected from the sub tank. The liquid within the main tank is supplied to the sub tank when the joint member is in a connected state with the sub tank. The joint member comprises a liquid path and a valve biased in a direction where the liquid path is closed. The joint member is configured to receive a force from the sub tank and open the liquid path in the case where the joint member is being connected to the sub tank. The joint member is configured to open the liquid path in the case where an inner space of the main tank has a negative pressure greater than a first value.
Claims15
A liquid discharge device, comprising:
- a discharge head comprising a nozzle for discharging liquid;
- a sub tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the discharge head;
- and
- a liquid replenishment device comprising:
- a main tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the sub tank;
- and
- a joint member to be connected to the main tank;
- wherein the joint member is capable of being connected to and disconnected from the sub tank, and the liquid within the main tank is supplied to the sub rank when the joint member is in a connected state with the sub tank;
- wherein the joint member comprises a liquid path that opens upward, a valve, and a spring that biases the valve in a direction where the liquid path is closed;
- wherein the valve is configured to receive a force from the sub tank and open the liquid path against the biasing force of the spring in a case where the joint member is to be connected to the sub tank;
- and
- wherein the valve is configured to further open the liquid path against the biasing force of the spring, due to an inner space of the main tank having a negative pressure greater than a first value, in order to function as a negative pressure controlling valve for the main tank while the joint member is in a disconnected state with the sub tank;
- and
- wherein the main tank is not provided with a negative pressure controlling valve.
A liquid discharge device, comprising:
- a discharge head comprising a nozzle for discharging liquid;
- a sub tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the discharge head;
- and
- a liquid replenishment device comprising a space for housing a main tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the sub tank, and a joint member to be connected to the main tank, wherein the joint member is capable of being connected to and disconnected from the sub tank, and the liquid within the main tank is supplied to the sub tank wherein the joint member is in a connected state with the sub tank;
- wherein the joint member comprises a liquid path that opens upward, a valve, and a spring that biases the valve in a direction where the liquid path is closed;
- wherein the valve configured to receive a force from the sub tank and open the liquid path against the biasing force of the spring in a case where the joint member is to be connected to the sub tank;
- and
- wherein the valve is configured to further open the liquid path against the biasing force of the spring, due to an inner space of the main tank having a negative pressure greater than a first value, in order to function as negative pressure controlling valve for the main tank while the joint member is in a disconnected state with the sub tank;
- and
- wherein the main tank is not provided with a negative pressure controlling valve.
A liquid discharge device, comprising:
- a discharge head comprising a nozzle for discharging liquid;
- a sub tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the discharge head;
- a liquid replenishment device comprising a main tank capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the sub tank, and a joint member to be connected to the main tank, wherein the joint member is capable of being connected to and disconnected from the sub tank, and the liquid within the main tank is supplied to the sub tank when the joint member is in a connected state with the sub tank;
- and
- a ring shaped member coupled to the joint member, the ring shaped member extending upward from an upper surface of the joint member;
- wherein the joint member comprises a liquid path and a valve, biased in a direction where the liquid path is closed;
- wherein the joint member is configured to receive a force from the sub tank and open the liquid path in a case where the joint member is to be connected to the sub tank;
- wherein the joint member is configured to open the liquid path in a case where an inner space of the main tank has a negative pressure greater than a first value;
- wherein the liquid path opens upward;
- wherein the ring shaped member surrounding the opening of the liquid path;
- wherein the ring shaped member is elastically deformable;
- and
- wherein the ring shaped member seals between the sub tank and the joint member when the joint number is in the connected state with the sub tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.